Sugarcane harvester



Nov. 14, 1939..

H. BOURG, SR

SUGARCANE HARVESTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1938 In vemor fim iiorz Zoeuy, 6'2! I Attorneys Nov. 14, 1939.

H. BOURG, SR

SUGARCANE .iAELVESTER 5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1958 Inventor 1.5m: Z3022 Zoeuyjri m Attorneys Nov. 14, 1939. H BOURG. 5 2.179.584

SUGARCANE HAEV'ESTER Filed Nov. 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 atented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

tion and arrangement whereby the heading and cuttingknives', together with certain of the strippers may be conveniently adjusted vertically to meet various conditions.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a sugarcane harvester, of the character described wherein the machine itself is propelled and the knives, strippers, rotary collectors, etc., are driven from a single source of power underthe control of an operator.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a sugarcane harvester of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable 5 in use, compact, light in weight and which may be manufactured and operated at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a sugarcane harvester constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with parts omitted.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the machine.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken through the rear end portion of the machine.

Figure 5 is an elevational view, illustrating the action of the rotary strippers.

Figure 6 is a plan view, illustrating the operation of the vertically adjustable cutting knives, showing the shafts on which said knives are mounted in horizontal section.

Figure '7 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line I -i of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a frame designated generally by the reference numeral I,

said frame being mounted on rubber tired front and rear wheels 2 and 3, respectively. The frame I includes longitudinal side bars 4 of channel iron having mounted thereon U members 5, 6, T, 8 and 9, also of channel iron. Mounted on the upper portion of the frame structure I, at an intermediate polnt, is an internal combustion engine I0 which is provided with a transmission II. An

. operators seat I2 is mounted adjacent the transmission A drive shaft l3 from the transmission actuates transverse shafts llv on the rear 10 member 9 of the frame structure I through a differential I5. The rear wheels 3 are connected to the shafts M for propelling the machine through the medium of chain and sprocket connections i6.

Mounted for vertical sliding adjustment in the upper portions of the front members 5 and G of the frame structure i is a carriage H. The carriage i1 is raised and lowered as desired through the medium of a suitable screw and gear mechanism |8 on the upper portion of the frame structure l which is manually operable from the seat |2 of the machine. As shown to advantage in Figs. 3 and 7 of the drawings, the carriage I! is releasably secured in adjusted position through the medium of a thumb screw l9 which is removably mounted in one of the uprights of said carriage, said thumb screw being engageable selectively in a series of spaced openings 20 which are provided therefor in the front member 5 of the frame structure I. Thus, the carriage I1 is positively prevented from getting out of adjusted position through vibration, etc.

Mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane on the front of the carriage I1 is a heading knife 2| comprising a plurality of blades 22. Bevelled gears 23 drive the knife 2| from a longitudinal shaft 24 on the carriage i'i. Also mounted longi tudinally on the carriage i1 is a pair of spaced, parallel shafts 25. Rotary collectors 21 are mounted above the forward end portions of the shafts 25 forwardly of the blades 2| and driven through bevelled gears 28 from said shafts 25. Mounted on the rear portions of the shafts 25 is a pair of strippers which are designated generally by the reference numeral 29. Each stripper 29 includes a cylinder 3|! having mounted thereon a plurality of heaters in the form of chains 3|. Guides 32 project forwardly, outwardly and downwardly from the front of the frame struc- 50 ture for picking up leaning stalks and directing them to the rotary collectors 2! and the heading knife 2|.

Journalled longitudinally in the upper portion of the frame structure I, beneath the power plant 55 and 33. Mounted in fixed positions on the lower intermediate portions of the frame structure I are pairs of coacting strippers 39. The strippers 39 are similar in construction and operation to the strippers 29. Chain and sprocket connections 5 40 drive the strippers 39 from longitudinal shafts 4| on the upper portion of the frame structure I. Bevelled gears 42 drive the shafts 4| from the ends of the shafts 34. Telescopic shafts 43 connect the shafts 4| to comparatively short shafts 2o 44 on the vertically adjustable carriage I'I, universal joints 45 being provided on the ends of said shafts 43. The shafts on the carriage I! are driven from the shafts 44 by chain and sprocket connections 26.

25 Mounted for vertical sliding adjustment in the rear member 9 of the frame structure I is a pair of shafts 46. These shafts are shown to advan-- tage in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Coacting disc knives 41 are fixed on the lower end portions of the shafts 46 for cutting the cane stalks, as at 48, adjacent the ground. Bevelled gears 49 are splined on upper portions of the shafts 46. Bevelled gears 50 on'the rear end portions of the shafts 4| mesh with the gears 49. A manually operable adjusting mechanism designated generaly by the reference numeral 5| and operable from the seat l2 of the machine is provided for raising and lowering the shafts 46 with the cutting knives 4'I thereon,

Briefly, the operation of the machine is substantially as follows:

As the machine travels over the rows of sugarcane the stalks are straightened up by the guides 32 and directed to the collectors 21, as hereinbefore recited. The rotating collectors 2'| convey the stalks to the knife 2| where said stalksarc headed by the blades 22. The flexible beaters 3| of the strippers 29, being swimg outwardly by centrifugal force,then engage and remove the leaves from the upper portions of the headed stalks, as suggested in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Through the medium of the adjusting mechanism 8, operable from the seat l2 of the ma.- chine, the heading knife 2|, the collectors 21, the front strippers 29, etc., may be raised and lowered as desired. As the machine moves forwardly the strippers 39, functioning in the same manner as the strippers 29, remove the rest of the leaves from the lower portions of the stalks. The stalks are then cut oil. by the coacting disc knives 41. A suitable steering apparatus 52, operable from the seat I2, is connected. to each of the front wheels 2 for steering the machine.

It is believed that the many advantages of a I sugarcane harvester constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the machine is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A sugarcane harvesting machine comprising a wheel supported frame structure including an upstanding, substantially U-shaped channel mem" her, a vertically movable carriage slidably mounted in the channel member, the leg portions of said channel member constituting guides for the carriage, means formanually raising and lowering said carriage, a heading knife rotatably mounted on the carriage, a pair of collectors rotatably mounted on the carriage-for directing the cane stalks to the heading knife, a plurality of strippers rotatably mounted on the carriage, and common actuating means for the heading knife, the collectors and the strippers mounted on the frame structure.

HAMILTON BOURG, SR. 

